New Year’s Eve London style

Anna, Michael, and I headed to the British Museum during the day on New Year’s Eve.

We split up for about an hour or so to explore different areas. First, Anna and I went to one of the galleries on China, where we explored Chinese bronzes, porcelains, and religious objects.

Laughing Buddha

We then headed to the Elgin marbles, otherwise known as the Parthenon Marbles.

After reading about the controversy on whether the marbles should be returned to Greece, Anna and I agreed that we think the marbles should stay in London. They are a treasure that all of Western Civilization shares, and they are appropriately displayed and protected at the British Museum, as well as several other locations.

In the evening, we enjoyed seeing the play, The Ladykillers, a comedy about a little old lady and a group of 5 criminals. Because the tube was overcrowded, we ended up walking back to our flat in the rain, while Anna headed off to a New Year’s party. Michael stayed up to watch the New Year’s fireworks from our flat, and Anna walked back to our flat around 2 am.

The next morning as we headed out, some streets near our flat were blocked off by the police. Apparently there was an argument (or a row as they say here) in a nearby wine bar that resulted in a shooting homicide at around 4 am. Some of the streets were still blocked this morning. Flowers were left in memory of the victim.

I feel a bit unsettled, but I’m so happy Anna didn’t stay out any later than she did.